Lighting Controls: Options

An Exploration of Lighting Controls, Part 4

Over the past month, we’ve been taking a deeper look at lighting controls to explore if and how they can contribute to energy savings. If you’re convinced, then it’s time to look at some of your options. Here are just a few:

Dimmer Controls

These are very inexpensive ways to introduce more efficiency into your lighting system, but it depends on the type of bulbs you have.

Dimmers and CFLs – according to energy.gov, compact fluorescent lamps do not lose their efficiency when placed on a dimmer, just make sure you’re buying the right dimmer.

Dimmers and LEDs – energy.gov notes that some light-emitting diodes can be used with dimmers but they’re not quite universal yet. Pay close attention to the packaging and expect to see more LED dimmers available as the market expands.

Motion Sensor Controls

These are great for any outdoor areas you might be responsible for. Try using incandescent flood lights with a photosensor and motion sensor for more energy efficienty.

Occupancy Sensor Controls

These are specific to indoor areas, and you may want to consider them for bathrooms in particular. They contribute to energy efficiency because they turn themselves off when no one is around them. It doesn’t get much easier than that! You’ll be looking at two different kinds: ultrasonic and infrared.

Ultrasonic sensors detect sound while infrareds detect heat and motion. Consider the space you’re looking to light when deciding between these two options.

Photosensor Controls

These sensors detect ambient light conditions, making them good for outdoor lighting because they will turn on when it’s dark and off when it’s light. But you’ll still have to turn them off eventually.

Timer Controls

Timers or scheduling are huge. You’re probably familiar with the kinds you can buy for your house, that you plug into an electrical outlet. But there are also enterprise-grade timers that we refer to as scheduling tools. We’ll get into more details about those soon, but you can read up on some of the technical aspects we work with in an earlier blog post here.

And as always, if you have any questions about the lighting controls discussed here, we’re always happy to help.